Kentucky Basketball: Seattle Sludge
by Glenn Logan on May 3, 2010 8:10 AM EDT
in Commentary
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PrintComes now Steve Kelly, a columnist at the Seattle Times, to curse Kentucky coach John Calipari's name.
Normally, an article like this would be worthy of another yawn from the Big Blue faithful, and even from myself -- we have heard it all before. Also, it isn't like the Seattle Times is a newspaper that I hold a grudge against. Percy Allen, the Seattle Times sports writer who has been closely covering the Terrence Jones situation thoughtfully linked A Sea of Blue the other day, which we greatly appreciate, and has been nothing but reasonable and rational in this entire affair.
But can you imagine a newspaper where all the writers would take the time to engage their brains, do their homework, and actually think about the situation? It would be unprecedented. Unsurprisingly,the Seattle Times isn't about to make history in that regard, either.
Steve Kelly put more effort into carefully couching this vitriol in seemingly mild phrases rather than actually educating himself about the situation. Unquestionably, he did that to cloak his invective (doubtlessly designed to stir up Washington Huskies fans into dislike of Calipari and Kentucky) in the sheep's clothing of rational thought.
So I thought I'd engage in a bit of reading between the lines so that the casual reader can better understand what Kelly really means.
The piece starts off reasonably enough:
Every coach preaches the notion of never giving up. Every coach wants his players to believe that no deficit is too deep, no comeback too impossible.
This is intended to mirror his colleague Percy Allen's reasonable statement, which you can find quoted in my earlier article on the situation. Kelly goes on to say that there is a time when coaches should just give up, and implies that Jones' recruitment was one of those times -- something I essentially agreed with in my earlier comments, if we read it fairly narrowly.
Okay, now that the preliminaries are over, cue Tubular Bells:
Take Friday, for instance, when Terrence Jones and his best friend Terrence Ross announced at a joint news conference, held at their Portland high school, they were going to play basketball for Washington.
It was a day for celebration. It was their day, nobody else's.
Translation: I know this was a news event and not a celebration, and that Terrence Jones was there to break news. But I want to set everyone up for my point that John Calipari is THE DEVIL by dissimulating a bit and confusing my mostly indifferent readers.
Then after their announcements, according to reports, Jones showed enough class to call Kentucky coach John Calipari to tell Calipari he was going to Washington.
Calipari reacted like a coach who hadn't heard the final buzzer. Jones still hadn't signed his letter of intent. To Calipari, that meant the game was still on, and there's no quit in Coach Cal.
Translation: I have no idea what Coach Cal said to Jones, but since we know he is THE DEVIL I'm sure he was trying to take a classy act by the young man and turn it into an opportunity to break NCAA rules. He was probably talking to Jones while sacrificing a live chicken to Jobu and swilling cheap Jamaican rum.
Temporarily, at least, Jones postponed his decision to go to UW. Instead of allowing Friday's news conference to be celebratory, Calipari cloaked it in confusion.
Translation: Did I mention that John Calipari is THE DEVIL?
Maybe he merely was lauding the idea of an education in the Bluegrass State. Certainly he has plenty to sell. There are few programs with the history of Kentucky basketball and few states as consumed by the sport.
Translation: Kentucky fans are THE DEVIL!
I remember when Mark Pope was transferring from Washington and considering either Utah or Kentucky. I was talking with Utah coach Rick Majerus the day Pope visited Kentucky.
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"We have no chance," Majerus said. "Once a kid visits Kentucky, it's over for us."
Translation: The University of Kentucky is THE DEVIL!
Already he is 1 for 1 against the Huskies this recruiting season, signing Turkish big man Enes Kanter, who earlier was assumed to be going to Washington.
Translation: Only THE DEVIL could be as successful in recruiting as Calipari. He got Kanter to sign away his soul, and now he's trying for another one of our recruits. I can see Calipari's dark bat-wings spreading in my mind's eye, ready to feast on Jones' soul like he did on Kanter's!
When it comes to recruiting, Calipari plays his own game and writes his own rules. And if by chance he runs afoul of the NCAA and gets his university in trouble, Coach Cal quits and leaves the cleanup to the schools.
Translation: I know that Calipari has never been implicated in violating NCAA rules, either in recruiting or in any other area of collegiate sports, but he is THE DEVIL, and an equivocation here or there is perfectly okay as long as we are talking about THE DEVIL!
It happened at Massachusetts. It happened at Memphis. Some day it probably will happen at Kentucky.
Translation: Readers of my column are too stupid to figure out that Calipari was the one who turned in Marcus Camby to the NCAA while he was at UMass, and even if Rose was hundreds of miles away from Calipari when his alleged cheating on the entrance exam occurred, we all know that THE DEVIL has DEMONS and MINIONS to do his bidding everywhere!
"We've gotten into this situation where integrity is really lacking, and that's why I'm glad I'm not coaching," former Indiana coach Bob Knight said last winter at a fundraiser for the Indiana Basketball Hall of Fame.
Translation: Bob Knight may have been a chair-throwing, media-cursing, player-beating ogre, but he agrees with me that Calipari is THE DEVIL, so I'll quote him here as if he were the archetype for good coaching behavior. My readers surely won't notice the dissonance.
Coach Cal is like the soap-opera villain who runs roughshod over some fictitious TV town. He's the guy who terrorizes the citizenry; the guy who, despite heaps of evidence, the local law enforcers aren't able to arrest.
Translation: See, I told you that Calipari is THE DEVIL!
He's a hoops Houdini.
Translation: He's THE DEVIL, I tell you!!! YEEAAARRRGGHHH!
Maybe Calipari's talk with Jones wasn't against NCAA rules, but it was sleazy.
Translation: I don't know what Calipari said, but we all know he is THE DEVIL, so it had to be bad. Rules, schmules -- we don't need no steeenking rules -- except for THE DEVIL!
Probably Jones, a 6-foot-9, do-everything player, will come to Washington and automatically make the Huskies a player in the 2011 NCAA tournament.
Translation: If Jones goes to Kentucky, he is THE DEVIL!
But why did Calipari have to slime a day meant for celebration?
Translation: I cant resist compounding my earlier mischaracterization, because Calipari is THE DEVIL and a falsehood in the service of the greater good is not evil. As you can see, I am really, really into situational ethics when it comes to THE DEVIL.
::Sigh:: They say fear and loathing are signs of respect. Sometimes, it's just hard to tell.
Apologies to Adam Sandler for the blatant ripoff of The Waterboy, and to Howard Dean for the equally egregious theft of his trademark war-cry.
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You had me at...
cue “Tubular Bells.” Is it true that Cal can make his head spin all the way around on recruiting visits?
Great, and entertaining, piece, as always. A wise managing editor of the best UK website on the planet once advised, “Embrace the Hate.” I think we just need to remember that advice every time someone takes a shot at our uber-sucessful coach.
P.S. Remind me again when Bobby Knight achieved sainthood. I must have missed that announcement, probably because I was busy watching footage of the press conference where he pretended to hit one of his players with a bull whip. Then there was the chair throwing incident…I never get tired of watching that particular meltdown.
Thanks.
Remind me again when Bobby Knight achieved sainthood.
Heh. I like to call it, “situational saintood.” :-)
A Sea of Blue -- Kentucky Sports for the Discerning Fan
Huh
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bYmIKcP7Nbc
Thank goodness for google. Tru, you lost me on that one.
You folks might want to open the link up in another window and re-read Tru’s analysis with it’s playing.
Frightening. Anyone up for some pea soup?
No matter where you're at, there you are
You see this while you were there??
Down in the comments section:
redKELLYMHRCH This song makes my head spin! 3 days ago
Between that, and your pea soup comment, the visuals have all come back! :-)
If your wings don't sweep....
We're going to get a lot of hate over this-
So what… Since we’ve become relevant again, it comes with the territory. Nobody hates a loser. I wish T. Jones all the best, and hope he has a wonderful career at Washington. I also hope he gets to enjoy watching UK in a final four soon…
"You are what you are and you ain't what you ain't"
I know nobody knows what was said on that phone call
with Jones following his announcement, but I cant help it – I dont like anything about it. As much as I would have loved to have Jones, I hope he keeps his committment with Washington, This situation just doesnt sit well with me.
It is not worth an intelligent man’s time to be in the majority. By definition, there are already enough people to do that.
by kentuckygirl0724 on May 3, 2010 9:35 AM EDT reply actions 1 recs
Unless of course Jones called Cal and said "I think I regret what I did."
This may not be Cal – this may be Jones.
I hope it is. I agree in spirit with your comment – but only so far as appearances go. There is reason to believe Jones is just wishy-washy and invited Cal to keep offering.
about this:
There is reason to believe Jones is just wishy-washy and invited Cal to keep offering.
It could be sort of like trying on wedding dresses, some people just don’t want to stop looking or in this case Jones just doesn’t want to stop being looked at — ‘cause it’s fun, and he loves all the attention he is garnering.
Everybody knows brides are fickle, and while I’m sure Jones is a great kid and all, it’s also true that 17-18 year old kids are mighty fickle as well most of the time. It’s just their nature, I know I sure was a tad capricious. As a bride, and as a 17-18 year old. ; )
Real World Example
Aren’t we all jumping the gun a bit on this allegedly scandalous telephone conversation. I know that, when I was looking to make a move to another job and had narrowed my choices down to two very attractive options, I called the firm I did not select, thanked them profusely for showing so much interest in me, and told them that the decision was very difficult and that, in the end, I felt that I could not make a bad choice. I did this to avoid burning any bridges with the losing firm in case things did not work out with my first choice. The person I spoke to seemed to very much appreciate my kind words, and told me that, if I changed my mind or decided later that I had made the wrong choice, to by all means get back in touch with him.
Nothing about the above-described exchange was unusual, nefarious, underhanded, or inappropriate. Therefore, if this is the type of conversation that occured between Mr. Jones and Coach Cal, can’t we all applaud both the Coach and the player for keeping all options open and not burning any bridges in case the player changes his mind?
Just thinking out loud here, folks.
And thinking very well, I might add
We do not know what was said between young Mr Jones and “The Devil” ;-)
Blue... there is no other color to Bleed !!!
That's be great...
That’s be great, if that were the case.
But it’s also plausible that Coach Cal began bad mouthing the Washington the program when Jones called in a last ditch effort to keep his mind open.
And while “not burning bridges” in your corporate example is a good thing, we would not expect companies competing for your services to bad mouth the other competition after you’ve made a decision.
As someone stated, “We do not know what was said between young Mr Jones and ‘The Devil’”, but let’s take that for what it is. Can’t assume good, can’t assume bad.
by BigGreenMonster on May 3, 2010 2:00 PM EDT up reply actions
So let's not assume anything.
It was a call. We don’t know what was said. In any case, IT IS NONE OF OUR COLLECTIVE BUSINESS.
I hope that’s clear. :-)
A Sea of Blue -- Kentucky Sports for the Discerning Fan
I was disagreeing...
with BigGreen Monster’s post…not yours, Tru.
I disagree...
only because, if Cal made a practice of bad mouthing a school whenever a player called to tell him of his choice, don’t you think that this practice would have, a) come to light a long ago, b) made Cal look bad, and petty, to top recruits. who all know and talk to each other about their college choices, and c) made Cal look bad to the AAU coaches, high school coaches, and camp sponsors who regularly come into contact with top recruits on a yearly basis? Because Cal has always enjoyed great recruiting sucess, I have to assume that he does not engage in these “bad mouthing” type tactics.
This is a good point
And what you describe is exactly what job seekers are encouraged to do – it shows some class and it leaves a good impression (hopefully) with someone who might still be a future employer.
Anyway, aren’t these kinds of calls fairly common for recruits once they’ve made a decision? I seem to recall reading about similar calls made by other players over the years.
3 > 2, except for very large values of 2.
Great post Tru
I loved the “tubular bells” and the sheep’s clothing always makes me think of this
Blue... there is no other color to Bleed !!!
So are Gilchrist and Teague off limits to all coaches now?
They haven’t signed a LOI either.
I may be paranoid, but that doesn't mean they're not out to get me.
Yes, they should be.
I don’t want UofL or Pitino or McCarty contacting Teague. I sure as heck wouldn’t want Pitino to talk to Teague right after the press conference. If he did, all he should have said is, ‘…sorry you didn’t pick us. Good luck at UK.’ That call take about 30 seconds…not 15 minutes.
'..when they bring a knife, you bring a gun...that's the Chicago way..'
by HozeKing on May 3, 2010 10:57 AM EDT up reply actions 1 recs
No one
still knows what was said or who said it. Does it ever occur to you cynics that maybe Jones kept asking Cal questions or just wanted to discuss with him what happened.
There’s reason to believe that Leslie picked NC State because Jones told UK he was coming. That’s quite the kick in the teeth if we lost another guy because this guy can’t make his mind up. So stop with the suggestions that Cal did something bad.
by Clint Phelps on May 3, 2010 11:12 AM EDT up reply actions
What we do know is that the call took 15 minutes.
I am sure they weren’t talking about cookie recipies or macro-economic theory. Let’s get real here and stop bringing up crazy and unlikely possibilites to make excuses.
'..when they bring a knife, you bring a gun...that's the Chicago way..'
weeellll,
Since we don’t know what actually transpired in that phone call (and really, isn’t it a bit silly to be dissecting one phone call this much?), all this is just speculation and excuse making.
Your excuses are just of the Calipari-critic variety because those scenarios are easier and more fun for you to believe : ), where as others are looking at other possibilities of his innocence.
Now, please understand, I could give a rats ass about your criticism of Coach Cal in this case (or in most cases, to be honest) as I think he is a big boy, makes quite a large sum of money and should be able to take his lumps, so you won’t hear any "don’t ever criticize Coach Cal" from me, but in this instance let’s be honest — It’s all just excuse making or conjecture because no one knows what was said and who was doing the majority of the conversing in what is IMO, an unnecessarily over-criticized phone call.
If Coach Cal is really a dirty recruiter and has no problem trying to pry players away after they have committed, don’t worry, I’m sure it will come out, but at present that isn’t something that can be proven, so keep on searching, my dear. ; )
And if he is a "dirty recruiter"????
unless he did something that is a violation of the NCAA guidelines, they can keep that crap to themselves too……lol….
I AM THE CAT......The Cat In The Hat!!!
Hey, I'm not saying he did anything against the rules.
I just would like him to handle himself in the way that I would expect ‘my’ coach to handle recruiting. If you want ‘your’ coach to behave that way, it’s your perogative.
Besides, I don’t have to search when it’s right there in front of my face. :)
'..when they bring a knife, you bring a gun...that's the Chicago way..'
That's the kicker
You’re assuming he didn’t handle himself that way when you have absolutely no real information about what transpired during the phone call.
Why...
…is it okay for you to assume the best possible scenario (whatever that could be), but yet those who assume the most likely scenario are called haters? Here are the facts:
1. Jones publicly announces for UW.
2. Jones has a 15 minute conversation with Cal right after the telephone discussion.
3. Jones wavers.
Now I learned to add 2+2 back in the first grade….and the answer isn’t 23 because I say it’s 23. As much as I may give arguments, or use twisted logic, or to call names, or to claim unfairness, the answer is still four. Sorry.
'..when they bring a knife, you bring a gun...that's the Chicago way..'
I'm not assuming any scenario.
The sad fact here is you are assuming Cal was unethical and there is not one shred of evidence to support even having a theory that he was. So using the logic of “likely scenarios” there is nothing to report as of now.
Find anything to suggest that something unethical has occurred here and you win. Otherwise please just quit making assumptions about things you have no knowledge over. No matter how bad you want it to be the truth that Cal has cheated, the evidence has never been there.
Unethical?
No. Never used the word, because I don’t think the word is appropriate in this case. If you are going to leap and challenge every post I put up, try to be more accurate in representing my position so I can at least follow along.
'..when they bring a knife, you bring a gun...that's the Chicago way..'
Ok, then unbecoming maybe?
Either way, there isn’t anything to suggest he’s done anything against any rules or even overstepped his boundaries.
Also,
I will challenge any largely cynical posts that to me have no basis for being cynical. It isn’t just you, I just see yours more often than others.
'Hey, I am not saying he did anything against the rules"
That’s from my earlier post above. Seriously, guy, you really have to try harder to follow along.
'..when they bring a knife, you bring a gun...that's the Chicago way..'
Or over-stepped his boundaries
That’s from my earlier post above. Seriously, guy, you really have to try hard to follow along.
Keep your condescending tone to yourself.
With you, that tone is almost impossible to avoid.
:)
'..when they bring a knife, you bring a gun...that's the Chicago way..'
To your question
It’s “okay” because this is a UK site and we’re going to assume the best possible scenario. period.
Also, who says anything else is “the most likely scenario”? C’mon Hoze, even you rarely stoop to this leap of faith logic for some semblance of fact.
As to the 2+2 – get beyond first grade, it can equal 4, 10, 11 or 22.
Well that is kind of 'dangerous'.
You are going to assume the best possible scenario…period? C’mon strap on a pair of big boy pants and think for yourself. It’s okay. Really.
'..when they bring a knife, you bring a gun...that's the Chicago way..'
I'm no Calipari, but I have teenaged sons
And I can’t keep them on the cell phone for more than a minute or two unless THEY want to talk to ME. If Jones didn’t want the call to linger on, all he has to do is snap shut the phone.
at least you get to talk to them....
my teenage daughter will answer a text almost immediately, but rarely answers the phone….:)
but you make an interesting point.
my thought is, the conversation went something like:
TJ: Coach Cal, it was really tough decision, not sure what was going on, but i picked the wash hat.
Cal: hey thats great, i understand. but i was wondering because you had given coach O the impression that you wanted to come to Uk. what happened? did we do anything wrong? what can we do? yada, yada, yada.
maybe Cal should have just let him off the hook and moved on (as Hoze has said); however, if the kid gave UK any impression at all in the prior day or two that UK was his choice, then Cal had the right to a more prolonged discussion – imo.
only one rule in my house - uk has to be your favorite college bball team
by memphis wildcat on May 3, 2010 1:53 PM EDT up reply actions
Are you kidding? They're teenagers
Everything is high calibre and life changing.
But no, they’ve not been recruited athletes. Are these athletes incapable of ignoring adults?
You would love for Cal to handle himself the way Pitino handles himself?????
I guess Cal needs to hire Jones’s aau coach as an assistant to try and bribe recruits and thier influencers as well, like Pitino did with Teague. I guess Cal needs to cheat on his wife and try and weazel out of it just like Pitino. Not to mention the abortion bribery deal on the side. WOW!!! What a class act you guys have to follow.
When comparing Cal to Pitino I would say Cal is in a h!@# of alot better shape than Pitino.
Card fans need to quit hating and just swallow thier medicine. What did you expect from a coach who decided to go to his arch rival school when he failed in the pros.
i know hoze can defend himself...
but Cal has not been above hiring an associate of a high profile recruit to land a recruit. he did it numerous times in memphis – it is within the rules and a practice i have no problem with given the way the rules are written…
be careful when you go after pitino on that charge….
only one rule in my house - uk has to be your favorite college bball team
by memphis wildcat on May 3, 2010 3:11 PM EDT up reply actions
We are talking recruiting here, right?
Once again, I’ll have to run and use that hand sanitizer just to protect myself from even typing that small bit in response to that disgusting post. How pitiful.
'..when they bring a knife, you bring a gun...that's the Chicago way..'
+1
It is not worth an intelligent man’s time to be in the majority. By definition, there are already enough people to do that.
by kentuckygirl0724 on May 3, 2010 12:03 PM EDT up reply actions
This +1 was for Hoze's response.
I know, I know… ;)
It is not worth an intelligent man’s time to be in the majority. By definition, there are already enough people to do that.
by kentuckygirl0724 on May 3, 2010 12:03 PM EDT up reply actions
Kelly Being Kelly
Great post, Tru. VERY funny! I have often linked your blog to the UW faithful as I find you an excellent writer and one who is willing to bring the good with the bad (as you did in yesterday’s post re: grades).
I’ve been reading Kelly’s prose for years now. Regardless of how UK fans feel about his article, he’s actually a good writer. Like you, Tru, he tells it like it is from his point of view, pulling no punches. There’s really nothing new here. Everybody ALREADY knows Coach Cal is the devil. ;-)
My thoughts: UK has been there, done that. I hear posters on this blog talk about UK being relevant again. Think about that. UK was never irrelevant; only a program in hibernation. My Dawgs are at the brink of national relevancy…. for arguably the first time! Thus the emotion and subsequent frustration when someone poops in our nest.
Coach Lorenzo Romar’s team has the tools to be good for a long time (remember that in your office pools next year). But that’s not to be confused with what UK has. Whatever happens with Jones is what should happen. He’s the final piece for both teams. Dang, Maui is going to hyped next year!
Keep up the good work.
Thanks so much.
I appreciate the comments, and I wish you all the best next year whatever the outcome of the instant affair.
I think Romar is a great coach, and I have nothing but respect for the program.
A Sea of Blue -- Kentucky Sports for the Discerning Fan
GREAT point.
Maui is going to hyped next year!
The field includes UW, UK, UConn, Michigan State and Oklahoma.
I didn't "say should they be?"
I said “are they?” That question is asking for a fact. “Should they be?” would have been asking for an opinion.
I may be paranoid, but that doesn't mean they're not out to get me.
I would like Cal
to express his side of this phone call. The facts would go a long way right now.
Happy Days are here again The sky is all ways BLUE again Happy days are here again !
It's an NCAA violation for Calipari to do that.
A Sea of Blue -- Kentucky Sports for the Discerning Fan
Tru
What part of him discussing a “legal” phone call with a future player would be wrong? I fail to understand.
Happy Days are here again The sky is all ways BLUE again Happy days are here again !
cal cannot discuss the specifics
of any recruit that has not signed a NLOI with his school. notice he has said nothing on bradon knight.
only one rule in my house - uk has to be your favorite college bball team
by memphis wildcat on May 3, 2010 1:55 PM EDT up reply actions
Calipari cannot discuss any details about a recruit.
Any contact is off limits for him to discuss with the media.
A Sea of Blue -- Kentucky Sports for the Discerning Fan
I'm going to have
to grow longer arms.
by hoboat33 on May 3, 2010 2:29 PM EDT up reply actions 1 recs
Seattle Sludge
I read this earlier on another website. It’s atrocious to say the least. The Big Blue has always had to endure this kind of stuff! Bless his heart, Jim Calhoun is now undergoing
pressure. That’s sad but why isn’t his problems being splashed all over the internet?
Well I think we all know why. UK and Cal are “devils”. LOL
A. M. Goodman
by WildcatBlue1930Adolph on May 3, 2010 6:11 PM EDT reply actions
I'm a Washington Husky Fan
IMHO -
I am at a complete loss. I don’t think I’ve ever seen or heard anything like this. In my mind, I’m saying – “holy crap kid – it’s just the game of basketball”, yet many are assuming that TJ – just has a hard time choosing. I do not believe that is the case.
As reported, TJ spoke with Calipari for over 15 minutes after he committed to Washington. That is NOT your normal congradulatory conversation. I think everyone is in agreement that things clearly changed after that phone call. What else explains the anguish after that call?
My only conclusion is that he must have at least indicated to Kentucky and Calipari that he was going there before he announced Washington, what else would make him feel so guilty. He did not lament when he choose Washington over Oregon, UCLA, Oklahoma, Kansas – only Kentucky. Why just Kentucky and why this much turmoil?
In my mind – “something” was agreed upon, some kind of understanding. Calipari thinks he has TJ, C.J. Leslie goes to NC State, TJ changes his mind and picks Washington. He calls Calipari to let him know his choice and Calipari lets him know, albeit pretty un-professionally, that he left him in a jam and he doesn’t appriciate it.
Yes, Calipari “should” have just congradulated him and been done with it but, no one knows for sure that he didn’t..
Who knows how this will play out or if we ever hear how this all went down.
One last thing from the Washington Fan
You should know that the Seattle PI writer Truzenzuzex refers to in this article – Steve Kelly – is a Washington State University Cougars grad – NOT – a UW grad!
Steve Kelly is, without a doubt, the most disliked reporter in the state when it comes to the UW Huskies and their supporters. He is on record – in print – as saying he dislikes the Huskies and he does and says things (like this article) purposely to rile the masses.
I am willing to bet that he gets complained about 25 to 1 over the nearest reporter so please – don’t take too much of what he says to heart – Steve Kelly does NOT represent the Huskies as a whole.
I understand.
Trust me, this was not meant, in any way, as an attack on Huskies fans, or Washingtonians. I have been there, and I know the quality of people there.
This was a spoof aimed only at Kelly, and nobody else.
A Sea of Blue -- Kentucky Sports for the Discerning Fan
How 'bout them Mariners?
Isn’t there something else to do in Seattle this time of the year other than read the recruiting pig entrails and tea leaves to discern the intentions of teenaged basketball players?
From today’s Lexington Herald-Leader:
Jones’ recruitment has stirred conversation over coaches contacting recruits who have committed to other schools. Calipari said Monday he would only initiate contact with a recruit who had publicly de-committed from a school.
“If he’s made a verbal commitment, we just lay off until the kid publicly de-commits, which has happened before,” Calipari said. “If he’s committed to a school, then I would not (contact the recruit). There’s no rule against it, there’s no law against it. I just don’t do it.”
Me again:
That appears to set things straight. Everybody in Seattle can now breathe a collective sigh of relief and go have an overpriced coffee.
by BlueCollarMan on May 3, 2010 7:29 PM EDT up reply actions
He doesn't belong to us, but nice try
He’s a crap columnist and he’s not a WSU grad. Try University of Delaware.
Steve Kelly?
When did Pat Forde change his name?
Then it comes to be that the soothing light at the end of your tunnel
is just a freight train coming your way.
Let me play devil's advocate, because it is what I do alot of anyway.
I don’t know what took place between Jones and Coach and I don’t really care. Frankly, let’s assume, for argument’s sake, that Coach “put the full out recruiting moves” on Jones during their phone call. Coach asked him if he was sure he wanted to go to UW over UK, he reminded him about his propensity to put kids in the NBA, he talked about playing time, heck, maybe he talked about UK’s dentistry program. Just assume Coach kept recruiting him and still is, just for argument’s sake.
My point, so what? What is wrong with that?
It is not against the rules. The kid has not made an official committment to UW by signing an LOI. Basically, the kid is “engaged” to UW but not “married” to them. Most everyone would say that it is wrong for me to “hit on” a married woman (at least I hope that society’s morals have not fallen so low as to make my statement of “most” incorrect) but hardly anyone would say that it is wrong for me to ask out or attempt to date a woman that is engaged, and marriage should be considered a heck of a lot more important committment that what school a kid plays ball at.
Someone may say that I would not feel this way about UK’s recruits, ala Teague or Gilchrist. Frankly, I expect other schools to do this very thing. Let me let you in on a secret, so does Coach. If he didn’t, he would stop going to their games and not keep recruiting them, but you will see him maintain constant contact until he gets that LOI in hand. Most coaches continue recruiting their own recruits until they get that LOI. It is only the fans that seem to think that the recruiting should or does stop with a verbal.
Finally, I keep going back to the marriage analogy, if it is okay for me attempt to date an engaged woman, why is it wrong for a coach to ask a kid that has not fully committed to another school to rethink his position? I mean, it is the kid’s life after all isn’t it?
why is it ok to date an engaged woman???.......in ANY circumstance????
BAD analogy……..
I AM THE CAT......The Cat In The Hat!!!
Not a bad analogy at all.
And I still see nothing that says it is wrong to ask, “Are you sure that is where you want to go to school?”
oh, no problem with what Cal did, just didnt like the analogy is all.....lol
I AM THE CAT......The Cat In The Hat!!!
too much logic there ABC.
I have be correctly accused of having a 'football fetish'. You know, someone who doesn't think football is the warm up sport to basketball season.
Bad Journalism
You think Kelley was aiming that article at UK? He was doing what he does best, stirring the Seattleites. His journalism stinks, and guess what, you joined him in the muck. He wasn’t attacking UK. He was sensationalizing an 18 year old kid’s inability to make a decision and fear mongering the Husky faithful.
You take it as an attack on UK when Majerus gives you respect? You think mentioning facts like Kanter switching is calling him the devil? Your journalism is worse than Kelley’s. How ironic. You feed the sea of blue sensationalism, and Kelley feeds Seattle terror… How nice, you two are similar. Give him a call and you two can discuss journalistic integrity. Should be a short conversation…
we dont really give Majerus too much thought.....unless it is to count the number of times we whipped him in the NCAA's.....
I AM THE CAT......The Cat In The Hat!!!
Did you read the piece?
I didn’t think so. Either that, or you simply want to ignore what was in there.
If you think Majerus was “giving UK respect,” then all I can tell you is you have no idea of the history between UK and Rick Majerus. We have been his nightmare. He doesn’t respect us, he loathes us.
As to whether Kelly was fear-mongering or not, I can’t say. This was the first piece I ever read by him, and it was a direct assault on Calipari and, by extension, UK. What you read as praise from Majerus was little more than jealousy.
In the end, I was just having a bit of fun at his expense. I would hope you could appreciate that, but apparently that’s out of your intellectual reach. Or maybe you are just having a bad day.
By the way, in case you missed it, I am not a “journalist,” and it’s pretty clear from your comment that you don’t have the vaguest notion of what the phrase “journalistic integrity” means.
A Sea of Blue -- Kentucky Sports for the Discerning Fan
Thanks
As far as your comments, well, you make a valid point on one. I am unaware of a Majerus jealousy, but I would doubt that Kelley is aware of that either. I am not sure how you define journalist, but when you post a “piece” on a forum that is read by many… Well, I think that qualifies. Actually, I am aware of the definition of integrity and I don’t see it here. I have always enjoyed the class UK fans have shown, I like reading their posts. Get worked up about SK, I really don’t care, just not what I expect from a true blue. I will get off your blog and you guys can get stirred up about the next Seattle Times article, enjoy. I don’t think like you, probably a good thing…
Hey, whatever.
I’m not stirred up about it and never was. It was just a great target for mocking.
A Sea of Blue -- Kentucky Sports for the Discerning Fan
Tru
Here is another one! I don’t think he is going to be a fan! Bye-Bye
Happy Days are here again The sky is all ways BLUE again Happy days are here again !
He didn't break any rules.
He is welcome as long as he doesn’t, and doesn’t bait. I am not afraid of critics, even ones who haven’t figured out how to engage their brain.
A Sea of Blue -- Kentucky Sports for the Discerning Fan
I love Kentucky
Why would I dislike UK? I root for you guys every chance I get. I have the utmost respect for your program, I just don’t like bad media. You can soak it up if you want, if exagerating SK’s article somehow makes you feel good. I can’t stand sensationalism and fear mongering, which is all these pieces of trash are. Why can’t we discuss basketball? I will be the first to say I wish UW would win some recruits against you, but that hasn’t happened. Yet. You got Cousins, Kanter, Pope, possibly Wroten next year. Not sure if you guys recruited the likes of Thalo Green, maybe we won that one. (Joking) Have a good year, but I think it’s ok to have an opinion, don’t you?
Opinons are welcome, and so are you.
But realize that this is not a newspaper, and we don’t apologize for “illustrating absurdity by being absurd.” That is what is known as “satire.”
I was having a bit of fun at the expense of an author who wrote an obviously misguided attack against our coach. This article was intended to mock Kelly’s piece. We do that kind of thing now and again, it’s called, “Blogging.”
As far as your team is concerned, I thought Washington was great this year and I think they’ll be even better next year. I loved the intensity that they brought to the floor, and with Ross and likely Jones plus your returning players, I expect you have yourselves a contender for the Pac-10 title at least, and possibly even the Final Four.
I think Kentucky will be very good next year with or without Jones, but you never know. Calipari has a way of getting these guys to play well together. I don’t expect Kentucky to contend for the national title, though, although 2011-12 looks like a year when we really could win it all with Gilchrist and Teague already in the fold.
Who knows, perhaps UK and UW will get to test their mettle against each other in Maui. Both teams will be there this year. Should be fun.
A Sea of Blue -- Kentucky Sports for the Discerning Fan
Something just occurred to me.
For all you UW fans or people from Seattle who might be reading this and take offense at the title of “Seattle Sludge,” let me ’splain.
It did not occur to me until just now that you might think that title was intended as a pejorative toward the city of Seattle. It was not. It was what we call “wordplay,” but if you are not from Kentucky, it might be unclear.
You may recall that Kentucky is a horse-racing state. We have a little contest here called the Kentucky Derby. You may have heard of it. Back in the 1977, there was a great racehorse named Seattle Slew. He won the Triple Crown, which is the Kentucky Derby, the Preakness Stakes, and the Belmont Stakes all in the same year. He was a great racehorse and a great sire of racehorses.
The title was wordplay on Seattle Slew, not an insult of the city of Seattle.
A Sea of Blue -- Kentucky Sports for the Discerning Fan
I instantly got the Seattle Slew reference
First time I read it. Just wanted to let you know.
Blue... there is no other color to Bleed !!!
Calipari-cum-Pacino-cum-Lucifer
I’ve always sensed more than a hint of simpatico between Signores Calipari and Pacino and all this talk about the Devil merely enhances it. Perhaps it’s just their Italian persona but I detect more, a certain passionate slickness, if you will. Nevertheless Pacino’s speech in The Devi’s Advocate in which he confronts Keanu Reaves’ perceptions of human morality and ethics would be a great paradigm for a recruiting pitch — which in essence it was. My enthusiasm as a fan and alum of UK leads me to choose the most favorable option in the manner and content of the referenced phone call: Jones had made a firm (as firm as a teenage commitment can be) pledge to attend UK and that decision was forwarded to CJ Leslie. The call to Calipari was an effort to assuage guilt and explain, resulting in John/Al elucidating to young Mr. Jones the error of his ways.
"There are more instances of the abridgment of the freedom of the people by gradual and silent encroachments of those in power than by violent and sudden usurpations." --James Madison
That was a cool movie.
And you make a good point as well. Nice.
A Sea of Blue -- Kentucky Sports for the Discerning Fan
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